By Nick Sammartino
Chess Mates Academy already said, “Goodbye,” to Eric Yuhan Li, after he moved to New York, but everyone at the academy was still proud of him and the accolades he accrued at the 2017 ChessKid.com Online National Invitation Championships (CONIC). He finished 3rd in the Age 9-10 section of the 2017 CONIC, held on chess.com from June 2nd through the 4th. Eric, who as of May 2017 was the nation’s top-rated 9- year-old chess player, defeated top-seed Christopher Yoo in the last round. Yoo is the youngest-ever U.S. player to earn the National Master title. Additionally, Eric has the proud honor of being the US Under 10 Official rep for the 2017 World Cadet Championship, and the 2017 Pan American Youth Championship.
Before moving to New York in April, Eric was a student at Chess Mates Academy in Rahway, where his coaches included Grandmaster (GM) Leonid Yudasin, GM Michael Rohde, and the school’s owner/operator Life Master (LM) Arthur Macaspac. Eric was also receiving lessons from 12-time Kenilworth Chess Club Champion LM Scott Massey.
Eric is one of many highly skilled members of the growing youth population that promise personal success in a worldwide classic, as well as its continued vitalization. Taking part in this decades-old tradition of mentoring starry-eyed novices and natural-born pros, Chess Mates Academy bolsters many young players–such as Jack Silver of Rahway, who was featured in the April 2016 edition of Chess Life Kids. In 2015 Jack placed first in the US Chess Junior Grand Prix after attending only 17 events–he made every appearance count, and his skillful brevity delivered him to the gold. With great young players like Jack Silver sitting at the tables of Chess Mates, the academy is sure to stay buzzing with quiet, reflective activity for many and more years to come.
(above) Jack Silver was featured on the cover of the April 2016 Chess Life Kids after winning the 2015 Junior Grand Prix.
(above) Eric Yuhan Li (center) and his Chess Mates teammates (l-r) Mike Silver, Jack Silver & Nikhil Kalyanraman) playing at the 46th Annual U.S. Amateur Team East tournament in Parsippany, February 13, 2016. Photo by John Moldovan, for Chess Mates Academy
(above) Ex-World Champion Garry Kasparov makes the 1st move for Eric Yuhan Li at the 51st Annual Greater NY Scholastics tournament in Brooklyn, February 5, 2017. Photo by Vanessa Sun, for chessbase.com
